Episode 3: Hell Is A Place Called Home

[Excerpt From Episode 2: For the first time that day Aisha let herself smile as she choked back the tears that threatened to spill and said a weak thank you to her friend. Tricia had always helped her on numerous occasions and she only wished someday she would be able to repay her friend for all her kindness.] To read episode 2 CLICK HERE

“Mama you honestly can’t be considering bringing him into this house. Papa will not like this.” It was two weeks since the illness incident and Bukola was fully back on her feet following the use of the drugs that Nurse Titi had prescribed. Nurse Titi had also found time to talk Bukola in private about trying to get her life together and take proper care of herself and daughter instead of wasting her life and ruining Aisha’s life in the process. Although she had nodded dutifully and promised to change, Nurse Titi’s words were like water off a duck’s back to Bukola because she was back at her drinking spot two days later. She was currently arguing with her daughter about her decision to bring home a man she had met at the drinking bar about a week ago.

“Will you shut your stupid mouth up and stop arguing with me? ‘Papa will not like it a bi.t” Where is the useless man today. Wake up youngie, your father is gone and never coming back. I have found love again and I am going through with it. If you don’t like it you can move out of my house, you hear me? Kolade is coming into this house tomorrow.” Aisha stared at her mother and wondered if Bukola was really her mother. What kind of woman would bring home a man she had met but a week ago into her home to start living with her? She wished with all her being then that her father had never left.

She remembered the times with her father. He was a loving man that had always carried her on his laps and called her by his pet name “Okanlomo.” Okanlomo which meant only child in Yoruba was his way of letting her know that although she was his only child, she meant the world to him. It was therefore with dismay she had received the news of his leaving and although he had left four years ago, she still held on to the hope that he was going to return home. She didn’t believe the story that he had left the country with a white woman. She wanted him to appear so badly now and put an end to this madness that her mother was doing but she knew that wishes weren’t what was going to bring her father back and she sighed resignedly as she left her mother’s presence.

She hated him the minute she saw him, his brown teethed smile making him all the more repugnant. He was tall, very tall and had broad chest that looked like it could crush you if he ever fell on you. A scar ran from his left brow down to ear which gave him a really mean look that made him all the scarier. She answered his greeting with a snort and cringed in disgust as he grinned lewdly at her and asked her to help him bring in his bags. 

For the rest of that day, Aisha sulked around the house with her heart very heavy. She watched her mother shamelessly flirt around the house with Kolade. Bukola was like a child with a new toy with her excited giggles and animated talk. Aisha wondered what was so exciting about the man who looked like someone with two hot pieces of yam were in his cheek and the scar that made him look like a bad guy from some Hollywood movie that had only managed escape being killed by the hero. Her little mind could not understand it all and when at night she was tormented with the tell-tale squeaking that came from the bed not to mention the heavy moans and snort, she just wished then and there that the floor she which she was sleeping on with her threadbare mat could open up and take her into its sanctuary.

“I really don’t know how long I can take any of this Tricia. The situation is getting worse by the day, ever since his arrival, all I do is clear the mess after their drinking bouts and the worst part is they always end up fighting in their drunken state only to act like everything is normal the next day.” The two girls were sitting under one of the staircases in their school at lunch time to avoid the noise that usually accompanied the break. Tricia put her arms around Aisha and wished there was something more she could do to help her friend. She couldn’t imagine having to live such horror and it grieved her that her best friend had to face all of this.

“How about you tell your mother that you want to come spend some few days at my place because of some group assignment that we have? I am sure my parents wouldn’t mind and you can be free from their troubles for a while at least.” Aisha’s face brightened up at this prospect and she readily accepted.

It was an excited Aisha that ran up into the house that day with her heart full of hope and anticipation of the moment of respite that was to come as soon as she was able to get out of the house to Tricia’s. She met Kolade watching some programme on television. She said her polite greeting and was heading inside the interior room to drop her school bag and change her school clothes when he called her back.

“Your mother is not home and she said she would be coming back late. She asked you to take care of the cooking with the money I gave her so get on to it as I am quite hungry.” She hated the way he emphasized that he had dropped the money for their feeding. She loathed the idea  that he had to be the one taking care of them but since her mother was still trying to get a reasonable employment, there wasn’t much she could do except she was willing to starve.

“Okay, I will just quickly change my clothes before going to the market sir.” She went inside and began undressing when she suddenly felt a presence behind her. She turned back and saw Kolade standing there, her heart flew into her mouth and she felt naked standing there in her underwear.

“Do you want something?” she asked in a shaky voice as she saw him lick his lips. He didn’t answer; he took a step towards her instead and she unconsciously took a step backwards.

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